A Court of Wings & Ruin – Sarah J Maas | Critique

Hello, my wonderful bookish friends! I know that I’m incredibly (like two years) late to reviewing this book, but I was going through my backlog of reviews and found this guy just waiting to be shared with the world. Mind you, this was written in 2017 when ACOWAR first came out and I finished the book (hence the first paragraph, but I liked the nostalgia of it), but my feelings haven’t changed.

Into the time machine, and back to 2017!

Rating: 

Title: A Court of Wings & Ruin

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: May 2. 2017

Format: Kindle

# of Pages: 707

Synopsis: Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

I honestly don’t know how to begin this post. I don’t think it’s hit me yet that Feyre and Rhysand’s story is over. Although it doesn’t feel that way because we’re still getting three more books in this world and they’re more than likely going to make appearances. I will say that while I enjoyed this book, it doesn’t even begin to trump ACOMAF in any way, shape, or form. 

Pros

• Lots of diversity – white, black, brown, tan, straight, gay, bisexual, etc.
• Feyre really seemed to find herself (even more) and come into her powers.
• Strong female relationships – real with arguments and resolutions, build someone up instead of tearing them down, etc.
  • I think she got some backlash from EOS and Aelin’s dislike of other females.
• CASSIAN – no idea what happened, but I absolutely adored his character in this book.
• RHYS – I loved everything about him in this book, especially the fact that he stressed to Feyre that she’s his equal and can make her own choices.
• AZRIEL – he is an absolute badass, but he’s also incredibly supportive and adorable, and I love him.
• I love that we finally, finally got to see Amren’s true form (and it wasn’t all that scary).
  • I also love that Amren saved their asses at the end.
  • Also, love that Amren got to come back.
• I love that while Tamlin was still pissed, his last words to her were, “Be happy, Feyre” and she sent him a letter wishing him the same thing.
• LUCIEN – while not necessarily part of the Night Court, we got to see more of him.
  • I like that he realized he was sort of a shitty friend to Feyre.
  • He was so sweet and patient with Nesta (I hope things work out for them).

Cons

• The fact that Rhys and Feyre said “Mate” so much ruined it for me.
• I don’t think Tamlin should’ve been painted as the villain the way he was (I’m glad Feyre realized that she’d been wrong).
• The build-up of Feyre taking down the Spring Court from within was little to nothing. (I wanted her to get back to Rhys, but at the same time, I would’ve liked to see more manipulation).
• I didn’t like the fact that Mor is bi-but-mostly-lesbian – it felt rushed and convenient.
  • I also don’t like the fact that she sleeps with males just to keep up appearances.
  • Mor has strung Azriel along for far too long because of this.
• Rhy’s kind of death and revival – I knew he wasn’t dying, so what was the point?
• Feyre didn’t use any of her powers during the final battle – WHY? She had powers from all seven high lords and could’ve been incredibly helpful. Instead, she had her hands on the damn cauldron.
• I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this yet, but those sex scenes – they were not sexy, and I felt like Rhys and Feyre headed to the bedroom way too often.
• I felt like a lot of the focus was on the other characters, which is ok, but at the same time, I wanted to see how Feyre and Rhys functioned (outside of the bedroom) as mates and High Lord and Lady.

Summary

Hello, Carrianne from 2019 again. This book is my least favorite out of the original trilogy. I’m not at all a fan of how Feyre’s role in the final battle was handled, it almost ruined Feyre and Rhys for me, and the Mor reveal really needs to be addressed more than it was. If I get around to reviewing ACOFAS, I’ll talk more about how Maas has allowed her personal life to heavily influence her writing (which is ok to an extent but needs better execution). I liked this book, it just wasn’t my favorite.

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